A Premise Salesman with Some Things on His Mind

Bonus Post for U No Hu

U No Hu is back from Taiwan or Beijing or wherever she hangs out and I know how much she enjoys a good post about my cavorting with the ladies so to welcome her back from Taipei or Zhengzhou or wherever she was I will write about a good memory. I doubt anyone likes a micro mini as much as I do, but it might be time for something with more coverage.

I was at one of my local bars this afternoon for a late lunch. Something I often do. And I saw a couple at the bar that reminded me of a day about ten years ago. I worked in downtown Minneapolis then and would stop at one of the bars on Nicollet Mall. This particular good story begins at The Local, an Irish pub and restaurant known for being the biggest seller of Jameson Irish Whiskey in the world. (It’s true. They have official looking plaques from Jameson to prove it.) I was there for a pint of Guinness.

While I was enjoying my Guinness I realized that I had sat down next to a modestly attractive woman about my age. She was well-dressed and uniquely dressed. She had tight black pants in a business suit kind of a set up. Nice heels, too. But quickly that wasn’t all that interesting. She seemed to be lost, spacey, odd. So, naturally, I talked to her. And, not so naturally, she talked with me.

It turns out she was dealing with some mid-life crisis of one sort or another or something like that. I don’t remember. We kept ordering drinks. And soon we were fast friends. The suggestion was made — probably by me — to go to other bars and so we did.

I remember it this way: We were like two stray dogs, happily loping down Nicollet Mall going from one bar to the next, tongues and tails wagging. Much of the time we just sat next to each other quietly keep each other company while we had a drink. But once in a while she would start talking. Jabbering about this or that. Then quiet. And then we would wander off to another bar. Eventually it seemed she became the alpha dog, the stray calling the shots, and I’m not ashamed to say I didn’t mind. She looked great in her pants.

Maybe three hours passed and we got to one of the hotels downtown and there she stopped. She made a big fuss about needing to go, thanked me for the company and friendship. Quick kiss on the cheek and into the hotel she disappeared and I continued on my walk home.